This photo of the North End is from our October 30, 2016 post titled, “North End Plan celebrates its ninth anniversary of…broken promises.” Blogfinger photo ©
By Jack Bredin, Reporter/researcher, Blogfinger.net and Paul Goldfinger, Editor.
The Ocean Grove “North End Redevelopment Area” is located on Wesley Lake and the Atlantic Ocean. This prime property did not require the Neptune Township government’s involvement to be developed as “An Area in Need of Redevelopment.” The general development process would have done just fine.
This year the “Mayor’s Negotiating Team” for the North End Redevelopment Plan is celebrating its 10th anniversary of doing nothing to get this property developed. The original members were appointed 10 years ago by the Neptune Township Committee.
It is important to know that the Team’s jurisdiction is still limited to the 2008 plan only, despite the Township’s and HOA’s announcements dating back to 2011 that a new plan was in play.
The establishment of a “Negotiating Team” made no sense because everything the Township wanted to develop was already in the Redevelopment Plan adopted March 24, 2008.
The only additional item that was needed to “seal the deal” was a signed Redevelopers Agreement, and “off we go.” That agreement has yet to be completed.
Whatever the Township wanted in an agreement, the developer would have to agree to, or his”bid” would be rejected. The agreement would be prepared by the Township Engineer and Attorney.
According to the North End Redevelopment Plan, the agreement “shall contain provisions to ensure the timely construction of the project; the qualifications, financial capability, and financial guarantees of the developer; and any other provisions necessary to assure the successful completion of the project.”
What the two sides must agree on is an engineering estimate of the total cost of the project; a schedule of how long it will take to complete the project; along with a “performance bond” payable to the Township in the event the project is not completed.
The developer should have had all his financial information enclosed in a sealed envelope when submitting his bid for the job.
But the Township followed a different process than the one required by the State.
See Part II for more specifics about that process including a time-line.
And part III will review some of the most recent assertions and revelations.
Below is the last formal statement by the CMA regarding the North End Redevelopment.
CMA press release April 26, 2018
PRESERVATION HALL JAZZ BAND: “The Bucket’s Got a Hole in It.”
Independent —–Nobody else wants the job!
Brantley, who is running for re-election in less than two months, and McMillan, who was re-elected to another term last November, have both been on the Neptune Township Committee since before 2008.
They’re very sneaky. And do what they want. For whom they want. Yet continue to harass and barrage people renovating old houses with delays, conflicting permits, etc. You’d think in such a small town(s) people would be nice to each other.
For anyone to be named as the new North End re-developer they must go through a bidding procedure to let others make their proposals.
Did the Committee conduct such bidding and then offer the position by resolution? That is how it is supposed to work.
Why did the Camp Meeting and the WAVE investors 10 years ago insist on turning that North End into a “zone in need of redevelopment” rather than a standard development project?
The obvious answer is that they didn’t want to adhere to the zoning (single family homes) and they feared being rejected by the Board of Adjustment if they went there looking for use variances.
The “Zone in Need of Redevelopment” designation would let them do whatever they wanted (condos, hotel, underground garage and homes) in terms of zoning, but along with that approval by the Township came supposed control of the project by the Township.
Now, as the matter heats up, we hope to find out if the Township has stood up for the citizens and if the Committee can defend its procedures in moving this situation towards the starting gate.
See our post about the “perception of impropriety.”
https://blogfinger.net/2018/08/19/the-perception-of-impropriety-at-the-neptune-township-mother-ship/